We stayed at the Silver Could Inn at Lake Union for 1 night pre and 1 night post our Alaska trip in September - DH and I could not have been more impressed! The hotel itself is very nice, the people are incredibly nice, and you can see the Space Needle out the window! But, here's the best part...they have a free van shuttle service that will drop you off & pick you up nearly anywhere downtown. Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Waterfront, you name it...plus, they'll take you to the pier & pick you up after the cruise for free! We figure it saved us TONS of $ in cab fare. The hotel is right across from the lake & there are lots of nice boats (yachts really) and floatplanes. A GREAT pick!